By Edwin Bierschenk
Original article here.
The city’s Redevelopment Commission is close to completing the sale of the last parcel in the Oxbow Landing development, which is already home to a hotel, restaurant and brewery.
A deal for the last 4.4-acre parcel could be on the agenda for the commission’s July 19 meeting, according to Phil Taillon, executive director of planning and development for the city. He said the site could potentially be used for an office complex similar to another one currently under construction at the development, but with a retail component that might involve restaurants on the first floor.
The Redevelopment Commission learned a Holiday Inn Express & Suites is in compliance with the plan for the Gateways Redevelopment Area subject to a couple of conditions. Oxbow Landing falls within the boundaries of the Gateways area. Work could start at the hotel site within the next 30 days, said Taillon.
The $11.5 million Holiday Inn project still needs to get a development variance to allow it to have four stories and an adjustment needs to be made to the site plan regarding the layout of some handicapped spaces.
The hotel will be the second one in Oxbow Landings, joining a Hampton Inn. Taillon said he expected the Hampton Inn to open in August if not sooner.
In addition to the Hampton Hotel, a three-story, Class A professional office building owned by ATG Real Estate Development, LLC., is currently under construction and could potentially open by Sept. 1. Already opened is a Buffalo Wild Wings and the Byway Brewing Co. brewpub.
More than 150 people are expected to be employed in construction of the 113-room Holiday Inn hotel that will be owned by Hammond Hospitality, LLC. When it’s completed, about 20 to 25 people are expected to be employed at the hotel.
Oxbow Landing is at the 23-acre site of the former River Park Apartments along Kennedy Avenue just south of Interstate 80/94. The complex was plagued with crime and in poor condition when the Hammond Redevelopment Commission acquired it in February 2006 as part of a $20 million plan to develop the area.
Highland helped finance the project and demolition of the apartment buildings began in August of that year.